Table 2. Conservation of novel sheep miRNAs.

Conservation	Conserved > = 5 species	Conserved < 5 species	Conserved 1 species	Non Conserved	Total
Precursors	112	10	29	21	172
Mature	177	16	45	26	264

The table shows the number of precursors, and relative mature sequences, which are non-conserved, conserved in more than five species, less than five species and in one species only. The latter include a distant homolog of miR-219 from Drosophila pseudoobscura, and the miRNAs of the miR-2284/2285 family from Bos taurus.